Page 65 of Crescendo

“Congratulations to all of you for making it through your penultimate week at Crescendo!” She held her arms out like a hug for them all.

“Your last individual compositions are due on Sunday, so don’t forget that, and then, next week, will be all about fun, collaborative projects because, when you leave us, you will seldom be working in isolation in music.

Maybe parts of it will be solo work, but music is, above all, a group project.

Composers, musicians, sound engineers… the list goes on, and we hope you’ll all enjoy a week focusing on that in more depth, and that you’ll get to solidify the bonds you’ve made here over the last two months. ”

I smiled, a little misty eyed again. I’d never cried so much in my life as I had over the last two months, but I supposed that was what happened when you finally let your emotions back in.

Lorna was right, though. Maybe that was the biggest lesson Lydia had learned here.

She’d been an odd student for such a programme, but she’d learned its most important lesson, and she was putting that into effect—working with a whole crew of friends to create the most perfect score a movie could have ever wanted.

I couldn’t wait to see all of their work come to fruition on it.

I hoped she was also right about the bonds we’d forged here.

Not just with Lydia—who I couldn’t bear to imagine life without—but with everyone.

I was going back to work in two weeks, back to my old life, but I felt like a new person, and that person couldn’t stand the idea of losing everyone here.

Though, of course, losing anyone wasn’t my forte. Crescendo hadn’t changed that.

“And now,” Lorna said, clapping her hands excitedly, “the part you’ve all been waiting for!”

“Ella Hendrickson,” Eliza whispered, amused.

My heart pounded in my chest, more invested than I’d really let myself believe. I’d poured everything I had into that piece, it should have been obvious that I cared, that I wanted it, but winning felt so impossible that saying I wanted it felt foolish.

I suddenly found myself grateful they were letting us out early this afternoon—after the announcement. Win or lose, I didn’t think I’d be able to concentrate on anything else.

Lorna smiled widely, looking across the room at each of us. “You’ve all done amazing work. You should be proud of yourselves—just like we are of you.”

Dodge snorted and Clara nudged him to be quiet, but I knew we were all amused thinking about the judges listening to and attempting to discuss the random, hi-hat and guitar piece he’d turned in.

He’d looked so proud when we all listened back to it on Wednesday.

So had Bansi. Everyone else had looked… a little confused.

Dodge had gotten everything he wanted from this experience, and he was still exactly the same person he’d always been.

“There were so many wonderful pieces, but, in the end, the judges found the winning piece was raw, beautiful, haunting, and transcended a simple musical piece to tell a story about the human experience that we’re all very excited to hear soon at the Royal Albert Hall.”

Eliza grinned, pressing into my side, while Clara clapped a hand on my other shoulder.

“So, without further ado, please give it up for our winner: Across the River by Ella Hendrickson.”

Tears sprung into my eyes as my brain slammed to a stop.

People were cheering. My friends were descending on me, hugging me, congratulating me.

My piece was playing in the room around us.

And my eyes landed on Rosie across the room as Hannah pulled me into a hug.

She was gripping her chest as she swayed to the music, crying openly at it.

I’d done that? I’d made someone cry with my music?

I’d won.

Eliza gripped me in a hug. “You’re going to the Royal Albert Hall!”

“What?” I gasped.

Everyone laughed and someone—probably Dodge—was drumming a celebratory pattern on my back.

“The Royal Albert Hall, baby!” he yelled, laughing.

I turned and Clara claimed me, Bansi throwing himself around the both of us, yelling about how he’d never been happier in his life. I didn’t think that was true, but I also thought he lived every day of his life this happy, so maybe, by default, he was right.

Lorna said a few more words I couldn’t fully register before dismissing us, and I saw Adam rising from his seat at the front of the room and heading my way, a huge grin plastered across his face.

He shuffled through the row in front of us, stopping in front of me. “You know, I hate to say it, but Lydia is seldom wrong about a person. If she says they’re talented, the woman’s always right.”

I laughed, at a loss for anything else to do. “Did I win just because she thought I should?”

“No. Not at all.” He leaned in slightly. “You won because you’re a hell of a composer, Ella, and your piece was incredible. I’m hoping this isn’t the last we hear from you.”

My stomach jolted. Something that had been slowly sweeping in over the last few days hit me with surprising force.

The only working life I’d known left little time for anything, but definitely not for composing.

I’d have to immediately check if I could book the night of the performance off—the performance of my piece…

It probably wouldn’t be an issue, I’d already mentioned it because I’d wanted to attend either way, but now, I had to be there.

The Royal Albert Hall.

How did that happen?

I loved my job. Medicine had been my dream for so long. But music… The idea of leaving it behind again ached.

“I can’t believe it,” I muttered, truly unsure what came next. “I don’t even know what to do with myself.”

Adam laughed. “Text Lydia. She’s probably staring at the phone, waiting for your message.”

“Uh, she better be sleeping, actually.”

“Well,” Dodge called, “text her anyway, and then come with us, because we’re celebrating. Party at Ella’s place?”

My chest constricted. Not there. Not without Lydia.

“Oh, I, um—”

“Nah,” Eliza said, cutting in as she and Clara shared a look. “She’s not hosting her own party.”

“Party at our place,” Hannah said, smiling as she slipped an arm around Eliza’s waist.

I shot the two of them and Clara grateful smiles. “Sounds good.”

“Oh, I’ve got so much food,” Bansi cheered. “You’re going to love it.” And he ran off to start inviting the rest of his friends to the party.

Clara laughed and looked at Hannah. “I hope you know how many people you’ve just invited to your place.”

Eliza shrugged. “Won’t be the first time we’ve been in a cramped space with a musical crowd.”

The look she and Hannah shared was magical.

Dodge leaned around Clara. “Maybe we can have you two getting a little rock going for us!”

Eliza studied him for a minute. “You know, maybe.”

Adam cleared his throat. “Well, before you do that… Hannah, Eliza, can I have a quick word?”

They both frowned before Hannah said, “Uh, sure. Everything all right?”

“We’ll give you some privacy,” I said, smiling in a way that seemed to clue Adam in on the fact that I, at least, knew what was going on.

We’d have more than one musical success to celebrate tonight.

∞∞∞

I slipped out of the crowded apartment, leaving the others jamming to Hannah and Eliza putting on an absolute show for the crowd, Dodge on guitar with them, and Clara on piano, bringing in that almost classical edge. The combination was fantastic. Just like I knew it would be in Lydia’s score.

I headed for the front door of the building, settling onto the steps, watching the sun slinking behind the buildings that lined Queen’s Gate Terrace.

I was going to miss this place. It was an odd realisation that I would miss this apartment more than I’d missed my own flat over the last two months.

But then, I’d been given so much during Crescendo, I’d been doing so much living.

My own flat had simply been the shell I existed in.

I pulled my phone out, shooting off another text to Lydia to let her know she was missing Hannah and Eliza rocking out—clearly just practicing so they could give her their best work.

For a few moments I was alone. The evening was growing chilly, those late summer evenings from when I’d first met Lydia slipping away as we headed deeper into autumn.

“Your girlfriend is the weirdest woman I’ve ever met,” Hannah said, startling me as she dropped onto the step across from me, leaning back against a smooth, white column. “Sending Adam to recruit me instead of just texting me herself.”

“She wanted it to feel legit, you know?”

Hannah scoffed. “Nah. She just thought Eliza would refuse if she asked directly.”

I smiled. “Congratulations on landing your first film score.”

“Oh, please. It’s not like that. It’s Lydia’s score and we’re helping on one piece.”

“Still, working with Lydia Howard Fox on the pivotal piece of a major motion picture is kind of a big deal.”

Hannah blew out a breath. “You’re not wrong there. Can’t say I expected all of this when we came here.”

“I’m really happy for you. Both of you.”

She eyed me for a moment. “You too, Doc. Overachieving much? Now you’re a composer getting played in concert halls.”

I laughed. “It’s one piece. I don’t think that makes me a composer.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t. The fact that you’re a composer does. The last two months, all your work, all that talent… All of that makes you a composer.”

“Hm. Back to being a doctor in two weeks. I don’t think there’s much space for both of them.” It hurt like hell to say it out loud, but it was true, wasn’t it? I had no idea how to have a life outside my job, let alone one that allowed for composing. It wasn’t exactly the least involved hobby.

“So, what? You just walk away? Date a composer but ignore your own passion for it?”

“Lydia and I aren’t dating…”

She narrowed her eyes, looking me over. “Ella, why did you come to Crescendo?”

I sighed and met her gaze. “Do you have the emotional space to hear a pretty heavy answer?”